Taken
by alexanderhamifan02
Summary: After the SFIT showcase, nothing was ever the same again. Tadashi thought that it was a one-time thing, that his little brother would be safe. But after being proved horribly wrong, Tadashi has to fight through fire and rain to save Hiro's life, with the help of his friends, before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1: Taken

**i keep writing new plots and then never finishing the ones i already have oops**

**also if you haven't noticed i really only write protective tadashi fics oops**

* * *

"Yay, Hiro!"

Hiro, Tadashi, their aunt, and their friends all burst out of the SFIT Showcase building in excitement as Hiro raised his acceptance letter to the school in the air. Hiro laughed as their supportive comments got lost in the evening breeze, and he couldn't wipe his satisfied grin off of his face. The events of that night played on a loop in his head, from the drive there to Professor Callaghan handing him his acceptance letter. His older brother was beaming as well.

"All right, geniuses, let's feed those hungry brains. Back to the Cafe! Dinner is on me!"

"Yes! Nothing is better than free food! Unless it's moldy."

"Aunt Cass?" Tadashi perked up. "We'll, uh...We'll catch up, okay?"

"Sure," Cass smiled in return. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! Both of you."

"Thanks, Aunt Cass," the brothers said in unison, watching their Aunt skip to the parking lot before Tadashi led Hiro to his favorite spot on campus.

"I know what you're gonna say," Hiro said as they crossed a bridge on the campus. "I should be proud of myself because I'm finally using my gift for something important."

"No, no," Tadashi shrugged. "I was just gonna tell you your fly was down for the whole show."

"Ha-ha, hilarious," Hiro said, rolling his eyes before his eyes trailed down, just to check...

"What!" Hiro cried, zipping his pants before smacking his brother on the arm.

"Hey-ah!" Tadashi chuckled, leaning back against the bridge's railing. He sighed, looking out onto the beautiful campus. "Welcome to nerd school...nerd."

"Hey, I, um...I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, so...you know, thanks for not giving up on me."

Tadashi smiled softly at his little brother, his pride still apparent until a loud ringing came from the distance and Tadashi's smile was forgotten as he was jogging towards the noise to investigate. As Hiro and Tadashi rounded the corner, a loud gasp escaped both their lips. The showcase they had been in only minutes before was now engulfed in flames, and people were running from it screaming. Tadashi suddenly burst forward running, rushing to an older woman's side.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm okay, b-but Professor Callaghan is still in there!" the woman replied, coughing and running from the flames.

Tadashi looked up at the building in horror, contemplating his options before looking down at his little brother only to find no one. Tadashi raised an eyebrow, looking all around but Hiro had vanished from sight.

"Hiro? Hiro, where are you?!" Tadashi cried, spinning around until his eyes landing on the showcase building. A large figure dressed in a black trenchcoat was holding someone bridal style, approaching the inside of the building. It didn't take long for Tadashi to realize that the unconscious person in the figure's arms was his little brother. Tadashi's breath caught in his throat.

"Hey-STOP!"

The figure turned, and Tadashi didn't get the chance to go rushing toward them because, in a split second, the building was exploding.

* * *

Tadashi slowly opened his eyes to face the evening sky.

The stars were out, though for some reason he couldn't see them very well. He could, however, hear his heart beating loudly in his chest, along with a distant ringing noise. He squinted his eyes as sparks began flying in the air, and for a moment he thought he was dreaming. With pain and confusion, he finally found the courage to stand up, only just then realizing he was laying on the ground. When he was able to see more clearly, he collapsed back on his forearms, his breaths escalating at the sight before him.

The showcase building was destroyed. Large flames danced in the evening breeze, only furthering the building's demise. Memories came flooding back of how Tadashi had gotten there, and his eyes were suddenly fixated on the steps leading up to the crumbling building. His heart skipped a beat at the sight.

On the steps lay his baby brother. He was unconscious, crumpled into a ball, with blood gushing from his head. His jacket was seared at the arm, and his leg was also bleeding profusely. The man that had carried Hiro up those steps was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh...oh, god...Hiro! H-Hiro!"

Tadashi bolted up from the ground and sprinted across the pavement toward Hiro, scooping him up and running as far from the burning building as possible. As he ran, several ambulances came speeding toward the building, and Tadashi let out a shaky breath as paramedics jumped from the vehicles.

"Help! Please, help my brother!"

One of the paramedics came racing toward the two, taking Hiro from Tadashi's arms and running back to the vehicle as he spoke into his walkie talkie.

"I've got an injured minor on sight, he's got a head injury and possible internal injuries. I need a trauma room ready at San Fransokyo Hospital. We're on route."

"W-wait..." Tadashi pleaded, trying his best to get into the vehicle with them but he wasn't fast enough. He fell to his knees, watching as the ambulance sped out of the parking lot. All he could do was stare, until...

"-adashi! Tadashi!"

Tadashi looked up to see his aunt's wide, terrified eyes staring at him, her trembling hands cupping his face.

"Tadashi, are you okay? Where's your brother? Where is Hiro?"

Tadashi shook his head, unable to process what had happened.

"He's...he's hurt, we need to go to him. He's hurt."

"What?!"

"Come on, we have to go!"

With that, Tadashi rose to his feet, grabbing his aunt's hand and racing to their vehicle, where his friends waited anxiously.

* * *

_Beep...beep...beep..._

Hiro stirred, slowly fluttering his eyes open only to shut them in pain with a wince. He opened them again slowly, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion at his surroundings.

He was in a hospital bed, hooked up to various machines. The room was dark, only lit by a window on his left side. He looked at the faint city lights before glancing at the clock next to the window.

2:30 in the morning.

Hiro tried to sit up but fell back into the bed instead from the pain. He looked down at his body. His right leg was wrapped in bandages, though he could see a red splotch forming through it. His right arm was also wrapped in bandages, and there was a sharp, constant pain in his right side. He lifted his good arm to feel his head, which held a large bandage plastered to his forehead. His heart began beating faster as the events from that night came flooding back to his aching mind.

He and Tadashi had been talking on the bridge when they heard an alarm. He had followed Tadashi to the burning building until a large hand grabbed his arm and pressed a cloth against his mouth. The last thing Hiro saw was his older brother conversing with an older woman in front of the building before everything went black.

Hiro's breathing got faster and faster, along with the faint beeping of his heart monitor. Where was Tadashi now? Did he get hurt in the fire? Who brought him here? Was this a dream?

"You people haven't given us _any _information about his condition-"

"Sir, please."

Hiro's head perked up at the sound of arguing coming from outside of his door, an all-too-familiar voice discussing with what sounded like a nurse.

"My aunt and I _at least_ to deserve to know if he's _alive_. You've driven her to stress eat in the cafeteria. We're worried sick-"

"And I understand that, but-"

"No, you don't understand anything! If you understood you would be holding his file and telling me where he is. I need to see him right now-and we need to have the police called so that I can know who the _hell_ did this to my baby brother. I have to see him, please-"

"Right now, all I can tell you is that he's in this room right here, and that-"

Before Hiro could listen to the rest, the door swung open. Tadashi stood in the doorway, breathing heavily and examining the room before his eyes landed on Hiro and he rushed toward him, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside him.

"Hiro, hey, buddy," Tadashi cupped Hiro's face with his hand. "Are you okay? Can you hear me and see me? Are you brain dead?"

"Tadashi," Hiro said, sleepily watching his brother. "What happened to me? And what happened at the showcase?"

"I'm not entirely sure of that myself, knucklehead...Do you remember anything?"

"I...I remember being on the bridge with you and then seeing the fire. But then...you ran toward it, and someone grabbed my arm...they pressed a cloth against my mouth and then suddenly I woke up in this hospital. What happened?"

"Someone grabbed you and _drugged you?" _Tadashi choked, looking into his little brother's tired eyes for more answers. "Hiro...whoever did this to you wasn't messing around. I lost you, and then I looked up and they were carrying you into the building. I think that whoever tried to take you is the one who started the fire, and..."

"And what?"

"...And killed Professor Callaghan."

Hiro suddenly lost consciousness again, the stress of the news being too much on his slim, bony shoulders.

* * *

_One month later_

It was a Thursday afternoon, around 3 PM. Cass had gone out of town for a baking convention, leaving the two Hamada brothers to run the bustling cafe by themselves. Hiro's heart sank as he glanced at a tray of food from across the restaurant, realizing he was supposed to deliver it to table seven nearly ten minutes ago.

"Oh, crap!" He weaved his way in between tables and people until he made it to the tray, rushing to table seven and placing it between two people. "Sorry!"

"Hey, Hiro! We have three more tables," Tadashi said to his brother. Hiro tiredly glanced at his brother, who was wearing an apron and writing something down on a notepad. "And I'm on the cash register and in the kitchen. Can you handle it?"

"Y-yeah," Hiro said, looking down at his leg. It was wrapped beneath his jeans, but the pain coursing through it from his third-degree burns was impossible to ignore. "I got it," Hiro gulped, making his way to the new tables. He took out his notepad to take their orders, his wrist cramping from all the writing. He hurried over to the counter, placing the orders beside Tadashi before rushing to an empty table to clear it off. Rush hour seemed to be finally dying down, and Hiro was beyond relieved.

After about thirty minutes, the last occupied table in the cafe was empty, and Hiro let out a breath of exhaustion. It was his first day being that active since the accident, and he hadn't had the chance to recollect himself. He sighed before continuing to clean more tables, stacking dirt dishes on top of each other and placing them in his bucket.

While cleaning off the last table, however, something caught Hiro's eye when he collected the bill. A slip of paper fell out of the bill, and Hiro examined it only to find that it wasn't just a slip of paper, it was a photo. Hiro's eyes widened when he saw what it was.

The photo was of Hiro, waiting tables. It seemed to be taken from a distance, like a building or a roof. There was a target drawn around Hiro's head, and an "x" drawn inside of it. Hiro swallowed, flipping the photo over and taking in a deep, shaky breath at the phrase scribbled on the back.

"_We're back. And this time, you're coming with us._"

"Hiro, are you okay?"

Hiro jumped at the sound of his brother's voice from behind him and he shoved the photo in his apron pocket before Tadashi could see. He turned to face him, smiling though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey! Y-yeah, I'm okay..."

"Oh my god, Hiro!" Tadashi gasped, looking down at Hiro's leg. "You're bleeding!"

Hiro raised an eyebrow, following Tadashi's gaze to find that his burned leg was, indeed, bleeding through his jeans, even though it was wrapped.

"Oh, I...I must've worked it a little too hard, I guess."

"It looks like someone slashed you with a machete!" Tadashi cried, pulling out a chair for Hiro to sit in. "Hiro, if you needed the rest you should've told me. I could've handled the crowd myself."

"Please, you needed the help. I'm okay, really. It's nothing that hasn't happened before."

"Alright...well, hey, why don't you go get yourself cleaned up and we'll close up early? I hear there's a storm coming, and I was gonna invite our friends over for dinner."

"Sounds good," Hiro smiled softly, walking toward the stairs. He stopped at the banister, watching Tadashi as he finished cleaning off the table Hiro hadn't been able to finish himself. Something twitched inside of him, and he retreated miserably up the stairs, the photo in his pocket weighing heavy on his steps.

* * *

Hiro sat upstairs on his bed, staring at the ground. The storm his brother had mentioned before seemed to have started as heavy raindrops hit his window and thunder clapped in the distance. He looked up from the photo in his hand when he heard Tadashi's friends downstairs. How long had they been here?

He sighed, standing from his bed with a wince as he looked down at his leg. It throbbed and continued bleeding, but it wasn't seeping through his pants anymore, which was the goal. Before going downstairs, he reached for his pain medication on his nighstand, only to find it empty.

_Crap_, he thought. If he didn't have his pain medication, his burns _and _his head would be hurting all night. He would have to go to the store later, and the thought made him groan.

Regardless, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Tadashi and his friends were at the bar talking and laughing, though they all perked up when they saw Hiro coming.

"Hiro!"

"Hey, little dude!"

"We were wondering when you would come down."

"Hey, guys," Hiro said with a smile, making his way toward the group. Honey Lemon winced.

"How's the leg doing?" she asked innocently. Hiro chuckled under his breath.

"So Tadashi informed you about today."

"Sorry, bud...I can't keep secrets to save my life."

"It's true," Gogo said, popping her gum. "I broke a window my first year at SFIT and Tadashi nearly told every professor on campus.

"I had to grow up with the guy, I know what you mean," Hiro laughed. Tadashi's phone buzzed, causing everyone's heads to turn.

"Ah, the Chinese is ready. I gotta go pick it up."

Hiro's head perked up as Tadashi grabbed his blazer and took their aunt's truck keys from their hook.

"Hey, Tadashi, can I come with you?" Hiro asked. "I need to go to the store to grab my pain meds."

"Oh, sure," Tadashi smiled, ruffling Hiro's hair before turning to his friends. "You guys won't burn the place down, right?"

"We'll just see where the night takes us!" Fred grinned, earning a groan from Wasabi and an eye-roll from Gogo.

"I think it'll be fun!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, looking to the group for support. "We'll hold down the fort for you, don't worry."

"Alright," Tadashi laughed, leading Hiro downstairs.

"We'll be back before you know it."

* * *

The rain pounded harder and harder as the brothers drove to the Chinese restaurant. Hiro looked out the window sleepily, admiring the lightning cracking in the sky. Thunderstorms had always been his favorite, especially in the evenings.

"Well, by some kind of miracle, we've made it," Tadashi chuckled, pulling into a parking spot and putting the car in park. "Luckily, there's no one out in this weather, so how about I go get the food and you go grab your medicine?"

"Sounds good to me," Hiro shrugged, opening his door and jogging to the store right next to the Chinese restaurant Tadashi walked into.

Hiro shook his shirt a little to get the water off when he made it inside, nodding at the cashier as a greeting. He made his way to the back of the store, finding his aisle and searching for what he needed. As he was looking, his eyes trailed above the aisle's shelf to see a large, muscular man in black. He was on the other side, glancing Hiro's way through his sunglasses. At first, Hiro paid him no mind, but he looked to his left at the aisle across from him to see another man, dressed exactly the same, who was speaking into his watch. Hiro's heart began to beat loudly through his ears, and he quickly grabbed the pain medicine he needed before making his way to the cashier.

On his way there, he spotted two more men, dressed exactly the same.

He placed his medication bottle on the counter, hands shaking as he looked around the store. He could count four men dressed in black scattered around the store, slowly making their way toward him. The photo that was left at the cafe was replaying in his mind and he tapped the counter anxiously with his fingers, looking back at the cashier, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You got ID? I can't give you this without it."

"Oh...y-yeah, would you mind if I run outside and get my brother?"

"Sure, sweetie. Be careful out there, it's coming down pretty hard.

Hiro nodded in gratitude, still shaking as he walked toward the exit. He looked behind his shoulder. There were six men at this point.

He walked faster.

As he left the store, his brother was rounding the corner from the Chinese restaurant, food in hand. Hiro let out a breath of relief.

"Tadashi, hey-"

Before Hiro could finish, a large, black van came barreling down the street, stopping abruptly next to the brothers. Tadashi lifted his head from the receipt he had been examining, locking eyes with Hiro and noticing the van. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, eyes widening slightly.

The van's doors flew open and three men jumped out from the inside. One of them held a black sack and duct tape. He taped Hiro's mouth shut and then proceeded to throw the sack over Hiro's head.

"Hey, what're you-! Mmph!"

The other two held rope, which they began to tie Hiro up with. One grabbed Hiro's wrists and bound them together tightly, while the other bound his ankles before tying his waist.

Tadashi dropped the sacks of food to the ground, eyes wide as saucers as, in a matter of seconds, his brother was being tied up.

"_Hiro!_" he cried, racing toward the commotion.

Hiro kicked and thrashed to the best of his ability, but to no avail. He tried yelling until one of the men kicked Hiro's side and then proceeded to slam Hiro's head into the side of the van, causing him to fall unconscious.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Tadashi roared, running toward the men and fighting them to the best of his ability, but to no avail, as one of them punched him in the jaw and proceeded to kick him on the ground before rushing back to the van. The two other men grabbed Hiro and jumped into the van, slamming the doors shut and speeding away, all while the rain continued pounding. Tadashi scurried up from the ground, rushing into the street.

"NO! STOP! PLEASE!"

He slipped in the middle of the street while chasing the vehicle, looking up as the van sped away. He read the license plate before crying out in defeat.

"HIRO!"


	2. Chapter 2: Aftermath

**oi this is exactly like my last bh6 fic oops**

**also you guys totally don't have to participate if you don't wanna but i'm inserting little music suggestions to listen to throughout the story to listen to for certain scenes if you wanna be immersed in the story :)**

* * *

**_("Are You Sure?" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"Yeah, I've got the brother, looks about eighteen or nineteen."

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"He isn't talking much, but we know it was a kidnapping."

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"From what we've gathered, our working theory is that the kid was, uh...ambushed. There were four of 'em. One drivin' the van, the other three were the kidnappers."

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"Same kid from the showcase last month. We're suspecting that these are the same guys that are responsible for draggin' him up those steps."

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"No, he still isn't talking. Must be in shock. He's got a bruised jaw, he tried to fight the guys but they were...they were too persistent. Luckily, he got the plate number."

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"We think the kid was thirteen. We-"

"Fourteen."

"Hmm?"

"He's fourteen," Tadashi said, locking eyes with the officer in front of him. Tadashi was in the convenience store that his brother had gone in, standing in front of the window and staring out into the street. His heart beat loudly in his chest, the continuing "_thud_" nearly sending him over the edge. "He turns fifteen...next week," the last statement barely escaped his lips.

The officer nodded, though he sent Tadashi a judgmental glance before continuing to speak into his comm. Tadashi continued staring out into the street, unable to look away. The area had been taped off and the road closed as investigators walked all around the scene of the crime. The word "crime" didn't seem to fit the situation, not to Tadashi. No, this had been something that words couldn't describe, which would most likely explain why Tadashi could barely get any words out. He swallowed thickly, barely blinking and too afraid to look away.

The rain was still sprinkling down slightly, but it was almost dark. A dim streetlight and the neon sign from the restaurant next door to the convenience store were drowned out by the flashing of police sirens, and suddenly Tadashi was so fixated on that. How the already cursed street seemed to be illuminated like a circus.

He felt numb all over. He felt as if any moment he would wake up in his bed at the cafe, and his brother would be asleep in the bed across from the room. Tadashi had never really paid Hiro any mind when he woke up. He would simply grab his clothes and prepare for his day, grabbing breakfast from the cafe and walking away. The cafe only reminded him of his aunt, and how on _earth _he was going to tell her. He could already hear her heartbroken voice, see her wide, teary eyes, and feel her shaking in his arms. The mere thought sent a chill coursing through him.

Tadashi's thoughts of his aunt faded only to be replaced by the kidnapping. How they came out of _nowhere_, how they tied Hiro up in a matter of seconds only to render him unconscious by slamming his head into the van. How they threw Hiro into the van and followed after, speeding away and leaving Tadashi in the street, terrified and utterly useless. The taste of blood filtered in and out of his mouth, and suddenly Tadashi felt like he was going to be violently sick.

If they were capable of doing what they did to Tadashi, what could they be doing to Hiro?

He was pulled from building the thought any higher as the little bell above the convenience store entrance jingled, and he turned his head toward the sound. There his friends stood, scanning the store before seeing Tadashi and rushing to his side.

"Oh, Tadashi," Honey Lemon cried, pulling him into a tight embrace before pulling away and examining him carefully. "You're hurt. You've been hurt. What happened to you?"

"Jesus, what happened here?" Gogo asked, looking out into the street at the police cars and officers scattered about.

"Guys, give him some space," Wasabi insisted before Fred could join into the conversation. Tadashi took in a shaky breath, swallowing hard.

"H-he's gone," Tadashi blurted out, taking yet another shaky breath. "He was taken...r-right in front of me. I should've...I should've-"

"No, hey, Tadashi," Honey Lemon reached up to cup Tadashi's trembling face. "Don't do that now. It won't help you, and it certainly won't help Hiro. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen, and I'm sure you did everything possible to help him, okay?"

"They came out of nowhere," Tadashi said, biting his trembling bottom lip as his vision became blurry from tears he had been trying to fight back. His voice began to crack and it only caused his friends more grief than when they had first received the phone call from Tadashi. "They came and they just...They took him away, god knows where...I don't-I don't know if he's okay or if he's _dead_-"

"Don't think like that right now," Honey Lemon continued, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "We can't jump to that conclusion right now, okay? Take deep breaths, steady yourself."

Tadashi nodded slowly, eyes trailing back to the street. All he could see in his mind was Hiro, and nothing else. All he could think about was seeing his little brother's face only for it to be covered and bound by the masked men, the mere thought of them making Tadashi's stomach turn. He bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating his options before turning to the officer behind him, immediately drawing the man's attention.

"I'm ready to go to the station," he said, and the officer nodded, gesturing Tadashi to the door. Tadashi and his friends followed the officer outside, and his friends stopped on the sidewalk as they watched Tadashi open the car door. He paused, standing still in the rain for a moment before looking up at his friends longingly, wanting nothing more than to stay with them but he knew it wouldn't help the police find Hiro. For a moment they just stared at Tadashi sadly, searching his eyes for some kind of gateway into his thoughts. Tadashi stared back, grief clearly clouding his eyes before he cleared his throat. "You guys should head home, I can't-"

"We'll meet you back at the cafe," Wasabi said reassuringly, walking back to his white car as the group of college students followed. Tadashi nodded in gratitude at Wasabi, adjusting his signature hat and stepping inside the officer's vehicle.

* * *

**_("Joyce and Lonnie Fighting" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

Upon arriving at the station, everyone inside immediately stared at Tadashi.

He walked behind the officer with his head hung low, trying his best to drown out the television hanging in the corner that was reporting the kidnapping, and the whispers of the people in the front waiting area that were looking at the television and then directing their focus back to Tadashi. Nevertheless, he followed the officer and let out a sigh of relief when they were away from everyone's peering eyes, perking up as they entered an interrogation room.

"Alright, Mr. Hamada," the officer said in a gruff voice, opening the door for Tadashi and gesturing for him to sit. Tadashi observed the room, though there wasn't much to observe. In the center of it was a table, with a chair on either side. The room was dimly lit by a fixture above them, and Tadashi's to desire to go back to the cafe suddenly intensified. "If you'll wait here, I'll have Detective Hirano in here with you in just a minute."

Tadashi mumbled a quiet "thank you" to the officer before slowly approaching the chair and seating himself, shutting his eyes as the door to the room shut abruptly. Being alone in a quiet room only left Tadashi to continue replaying the scenario in his head, leading him to grow a rapid hatred toward both himself and the kidnappers that took what mattered more to him than anything on the entire planet.

The thing Tadashi had remembered vividly the last few minutes was himself. How he just _stood_ there, watching it happen. He had, of course, sprung into action after a few seconds, but in those few seconds, it had already been too late. Hiro was already bound and defenseless, and Tadashi was clearly outnumbered.

_That's not an excuse_, a voice hissed in his head. _You're not the victim here. You don't get to feel bad._

Tadashi placed his elbows on the cold, metal table, holding his head in his hands and heaving a pained sigh. Hiro's muffled cries for help echoed and bounced around in Tadashi's skull, and the sound of Hiro's head connecting with the door of the van became unbearable as he realized his hands were trembling. He was _useless_. He had _been_ useless when it happened, when Hiro was being tied and hit and slammed and _taken_ and-

"Tadashi Hamada?"

Tadashi almost jumped at the voice, even though it was soft and gentle. He looked behind him and to his right to see the door open, a woman standing in the door holding a file and a notepad. She looked to be about thirty years old and his height, with brown wavy hair, dark brown eyes, and black glasses. She wore black pants and a blouse, a black blazer worn over it. Tadashi stared at her, still stuck in his thoughts and struggling to form an answer.

"Y-yes," he replied, looking back to the table where his trembling hands were folded in an attempt to calm himself down. The woman closed the door, the sound of her heels reverberating throughout the room as she rounded the table and sat across from him. She placed the file and notepad down flat on the table and sat down across from him, noticing his trembling hands and glancing at him in concern.

"I'm Detective Hirano," she said, still speaking softly. "But you can call me Emily, if you'd like."

Tadashi nodded, finally mustering up the courage to look up at her. She seemed unfazed by his red, raw eyes, clearly lacking sleep, but they were glistening from holding back tears. He had been crying, and she couldn't help but lean forward.

"You live with your aunt, right? Have you contacted her, personally?"

"I...the police called her," he said, pain lacing every word. "I was...I was going to. I am going to."

"And you're Hiro's brother?" she pressed on. Tadashi nodded, his eyes trailing back down to his hands though his gaze was completely void of emotion. She nodded, opening the file in front of her. Tadashi looked up at this, and his eyes became fixated on the paper on the first page.

Hiro's photo was paperclipped to the top right corner. It was the photo from his old high school I.D., and the photo in his high school yearbook. He was right in the center, smiling his gap-toothed grin in front of a bright blue background. Tadashi wilted, becoming weaker from seeing it. The photo was enough to make him double down to his knees if he had been standing, but instead, he sunk into his shoulders, reaching his hands up and digging the heels of them into his eyes. Emily raised her eyebrow at this, sighing and clearing her throat.

"Look, I wanted to talk when your legal guardian was here, but I'm sure you will agree with me when I say that this is time sensitive. The more we know about everything that happened, the sooner we'll be able to find Hiro."

Tadashi visibly wilted just a bit more at the mention of his name, though he knew Emily was right. He dug the heels of his hands further into his eyes before sitting up straighter, adjusting his hat and leaning forward.

"Okay," he breathed out. "Okay, I understand."

"Good," she nodded, taking out the first piece of paper before taking out a recording device and setting it on the table, flicking it on. She was stern, and Tadashi could tell. She didn't seem to care much that Tadashi was so heartbroken, but he appreciated it in a way. The last thing he needed or wanted at the moment was anybody's pity. "Let's begin. I want to start with the showcase."

"Don't you already have my statement from the police? We talked at the hospital."

"Hearing what happened then and how it could possibly be connected to what happened tonight is important information that is necessary to the case," she explained, almost monotone. "I want to start with the showcase. Tell me what happened after you left the building."

"Well, I...I wanted to talk to Hiro alone," he said, and she began writing something down in her notes. He tried not to pay attention to her. "We went to the bridge on campus, it's my favorite spot. I just wanted to congratulate Hiro on getting accepted into SFIT and celebrate a little on our own. But then we heard sirens, and we went to check it out. Or..._I _went to check it out, I assumed Hiro was behind me. He was, for a few seconds, but I went to speak to one of the women running from inside and he was just...gone."

"And what did he tell you had happened?"

"He told me that he was grabbed from behind, and drugged. Whoever it was used a cloth." Tadashi found himself bouncing his leg at this point, growing more and more uncomfortable and irritated from thinking about Hiro's attacker.

"I see," she said. "Please, continue."

"When I realized he wasn't with me anymore, I called out for him. But I finally saw him. He was in someone's arms on the stairs of the building. It was definitely a man. He was wearing a long black trenchcoat, and...I think I remember seeing a white mask when I called to him and he turned to me, but then the explosion happened, and everything went black. When I woke up, though, Hiro was on the steps unconscious and the man was gone."

"Alright," she said, clearing her throat and flipping to another page in her notepad. "Now, tonight. I need to know about everything that happened leading up to the kidnapping."

Tadashi got slightly annoyed at this. How easily she referred to it, like it was a football game, even though it had easily been the worst thing he had ever experienced. He swallowed the feeling though, taking a deep breath as he tried to think back to that morning.

"My aunt has been out of town for the past two days, so Hiro and I have been running the cafe for her. We-"

"Where is your aunt?" she interjected, and Tadashi, once again, grew slightly more irritated.

"Baking convention," he said, his voice growing in volume as if it were a demand. "She goes every year, at least since I was ten, and able to take care of Hiro myself. Though I don't see how that's relevant."

"Just standard questions," she said, flashing him an innocent smile that slightly threw him off guard. What kind of game was she playing? Why was she making this so difficult? "Continue."

"...A-Anyway, we were in the cafe for most of the day. I told Hiro he didn't have to help because his leg was still healing from the fire, but he wanted to help, so I let him. We worked till around three or four, and the cafe quieted down. I went to talk to Hiro, but...he was acting really strange, like he was hiding something from me."

"Was this behavior normal?" she asked, adjusting her glasses. "Did he often appear to be closed off? At least, after the fire?"

"N-no," Tadashi said, though he looked down for a second in thought. "Maybe. I don't know. He was jumpy...we all were. The masked man still hasn't been caught, and I think that probably...scared him." Tadashi's finger tapped quickly against the table, becoming more and more anxious the more detailed the discussion got.

"Alright," she said. She didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but she brushed it aside.

"So, we were talking, but his leg had been bleeding. He said he overworked it, and I felt guilty...so I told him we could close early, and we would order dinner with our friends. I didn't hear or see him until later that night when my friends and I were talking in the kitchen. He came down and still seemed upset about something, so we tried cheering him up a little bit."

"Do you think he was sad? Or do you think he was scared?"

Tadashi straightened up at this, looking up into her eyes and struggling to come up with a response to a question he didn't know the answer to.

"I don't know," he said lamely. "I couldn't say."

There was a pause as she continued writing something, and Tadashi watched her until she looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Please continue," she said, and Tadashi immediately felt like an idiot but that didn't seem to matter.

"I got a notification on my phone," he continued. "I had ordered Chinese food, and I had to go pick it up. Hiro asked if he could come with me, though. He said that he was out of his pain medication, and there's a convenience store next to the restaurant. It was raining buy then, so we had to take my aunt's truck."

...

"Why-"

"She took a taxi to the airport, so we had her truck," he said, stopping her from asking any more questions about his aunt. She bit her bottom lip, glancing down at her notes.

"So, we got to the restaurant," Tadashi continued. "I told Hiro that I was going to get the food and that he could go next door to get his medicine. I-I should've known better...he wasn't even old enough to buy over the counter medication. But I wasn't thinking, I just...I waited for the food, and when I came out..."

Emily was staring at him. He could feel her eyes staring daggers at him, and he felt weak. He felt useless, once again, and once again he was at a loss for words.

"I came out, and he came out at the same time," he explained, choosing every word with care. "I couldn't really hear him well. From the rain. But, he called my name. I didn't look up at first because I was reading my receipt. But after a few seconds, I looked up and saw him, and then...and then I saw them. In the van."

...

"It-it came out of nowhere. They were all wearing black. Black boots, black p-pants, black hoodies...Their faces were covered."

Emily was writing like the wind at this point, though Tadashi paid her no mind. He swallowed thickly, licking suddenly dry lips.

"They...one of them taped his mouth, and then threw a bag over his h-head," he stared blankly at his fidgeting hands. Anger, frustration, and worry were evident on every part of his face. "And then they taped his...his ankles, a-and his wrists. It all happened so fast, I didn't even know what to do, I just watched them. I just..."

"We can stop," Emily suddenly spoke up, her voice laced with concern. Tadashi just heaved a shaky breath, his heart beating loudly in his chest.

"They came...out of _nowhere_," he said, a fit of slight anger in his tone. Emily's eyebrows furrowed and, for the first time, she was at a loss for words. "I didn't even know what to do."

"Thank you, that should be all," she said, and her tone was final. "Thank you for coming in. We'll call you if we have any more information, and we need your aunt down here as soon as she gets in-"

"There's one more thing," Tadashi said, his voice hoarse. Emily studied Tadashi as he took out a slip of folded up paper. It was damp from the rain, and slightly wrinkled, and as he placed it on the table, the tremors coursing through him were even more evident than ever before. She glanced down at it before picking it up, her eyes narrowing as she carefully unfolded it. She straightened at what she read inside.

**RJCABG2**

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, taking out her notepad.

"The plate number," Tadashi croaked, looking up at her. "From the van."

She looked up from her notepad after writing down the plate number herself, facing Tadashi and drinking him in. He looked defeated. Like he had just fought a world war alone and was about to go finish it off. But she offered him a smile, walking to the door and opening it.

"I'll have an officer give you a ride to your aunt's truck," she said, gesturing to the door. "Thank you for speaking. This was very helpful information."

"Y-yeah, of course," he said, standing slowly from his chair. "I'll-I'll call my aunt. When I get home."

"I think that's a wise choice," she replied, leading him out of the room. "We'll be in touch."

With that, Emily turned and walked down the hallway, walking through a room he assumed to be her office. He sighed heavily, prepared to leave, until...

"And what time did he come to your store?"

"Around 7."

Tadashi's head turned back to the hallway, realizing there were voices coming from the interrogation room next to his. He walked over to the door curiously, pressing his ear against it to hear the conversation better.

"Were you the only one working?"

"Yes, sir," a voice replied. It was a woman. She sounded older and stressed with every word she spoke, and Tadashi realized with a jolt that it must have been the cashier from the convenience store. His curiosity was suddenly overwhelming as he leaned closer to the door.

"So, what happened after he walked in? What was he looking for?"

"He had a bit of a limp. He was walking toward the medication aisle, so I assumed he was grabbing something for the pain. He was too young, though, I knew that for sure. After he walked in, a bunch of other guys walked in, about five or six of them. They were all wearing the same thing, and they seemed dangerous, so...I called the police, just to be safe. They looked like they were following the kid."

Tadashi's eyes widened and his brows furrowed in confusion. Why would more men have gone inside the store when the other men were already planning on taking him with the van? Maybe the kidnapping had been more planned out than he originally thought...

"So these men were following him? Did they follow him outside?"

"They took the back way out," she replied. "That was the weirdest thing, and that's when I knew for sure they were dangerous. They didn't buy anything, they just lurked and left."

"And the kidnapping. Did you see it?"

"I heard some commotion. I was already on guard from _that_ set of men in my store, and I didn't realize what was going on until I saw fighting. I guess it was the brother. He just-he _lurched_ forward and started throwing punches. But he was outnumbered, poor baby."

"Well, thank you for coming in. This helps us a lot."

"Oh. Well, of course. Anything I can do to help." Tadashi quickly jumped away from the door as he heard them approach it and he made his way toward the front as an officer stepped through the waiting room door.

"Tadashi? I'll be giving you a ride to your vehicle, if you'll follow me."

"Thanks," Tadashi replied. He trudged behind the officer, his body physically giving up on him. The weight of the day suddenly hit Tadashi like a truck, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to one bit. His thoughts were interrupted, though, by the continued conversation of the cashier and the detective, their words tearing through Tadashi's already broken heart.

"What did you say the boy's name was?"

"Hiro. Hiro Hamada."

"Hiro...What an interesting name."

...

"I'll be praying for him."

* * *

_**("You Can Talk To Me" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)**_

Wasabi, Gogo, Fred, and Honey Lemon all sat in the Hamada's kitchen, each one anxiously waiting for Tadashi's return.

Fred had resorted to eating a bag of chips he had found since he never got his Chinese food, though he wasn't eating as much as he usually would on a normal night. His thoughts were overflowing with questions and memories. He remembered when he first met Hiro next to Honey Lemon's lab, and how he had helped the younger Hamada construct his microbots before the showcase. Well, _helped _probably wasn't the right word, but nonetheless. He had still met Hiro, talked with Hiro and bonded with Hiro, and his heart still ached at the idea that someone was holding him prisoner.

Gogo was sitting on the window seat, looking out into the rainy city. She played with the button on her leather jacket nervously, sighing every now and then from impatience. She had been friends with Tadashi for a little over a year and a half now, and she always got an earful from him about his little brother and the decisions he was making. She remembered the first time he talked about him, beaming with pride. "_He's a thirteen-year-old high school graduate. Isn't that just amazing? I still can't believe it!_" And then she remembered the times that followed and his frustration. "_He's a thirteen-year-old high school graduate, and THIS is what he's doing? He could get himself arrested, or even killed! The bonehead, the knucklehead, the IDIOT!_" She cracked a grin at the thought, returning her gaze to the city.

Wasabi stood in the kitchen, leaning against the bar and staring down at his crossed hands, deep in thought. He occasionally glanced over at Fred disapprovingly from his loud crunching. Eventually, he leaned over, his head touching his hands. Tadashi had been one of Wasabi's closest friends since school had started for the group. Tadashi had a private lab, so Wasabi would go in there from time to time and vent about how sloppy Fred was and how unorganized Gogo was. Tadashi would always laugh and talk about how Hiro was the same. How Hiro never made up his bed or cleaned up the notebook paper he would throw around their shared bedroom. The thought made Wasabi's lip tug in a small smile, only for it to be dragged down at the reminder that Hiro was in a bigger mess than he could ever make by himself.

Honey Lemon sat at the dining room table, a cup of hot tea in her trembling hands. Her leg bounced anxiously as she continued to glance at the stairs, waiting desperately for Tadashi's return. Honey Lemon and Tadashi's bond had always been meaningful to her. Ever since she had met him, she cared for him deeply, and vice versa. She would drop by the cafe occasionally and see Hiro serving tables, joking about how he would be a college student someday and _still_ have to serve tables. He never seemed too amused, though, and she was well aware of why. Tadashi told her everything, all of his thoughts, and Hiro was in almost all of them. Tadashi would complain about how much potential Hiro was wasting on his bot fights, and Honey Lemon would offer her best advice, even though she had never been in such a situation.

If..._when_ Hiro was rescued, she didn't think she would be able to offer any advice to Tadashi or Hiro on how to move forward.

"It feels like he was just here."

All eyes were on Wasabi, who continued looking down at his hands though he was clearly in distress.

"What?" Gogo asked him.

"It feels like Hiro was _just_ here, coming down the stairs. He wasn't here long, but it feels like he was here not long ago, you know?"

"Yeah," Honey Lemon whispered, looking down at her tea thoughtfully before taking a sip. "It feels...haunted here."

...

"Why would someone take Hiro?"

"I have a few theories," Fred chirped in, and the group mentally prepared themselves for whatever he was about to say. "He used to bot fight, so that's one group of people that could have it out for him. He also said no to Alistar Krei when he asked for his microbots, so Krei could have some goons he sent after him. _Or_-"

"Fred," Gogo interjected, rolling her eyes. "Not now, okay?"

Fred shrank into his shoulders, returning to his bag of chips.

The sound of the front door opening downstairs made the group jump, and they were all staring at the banister, waiting longingly for Tadashi to walk up the steps. The sound of trudging steps and dripping water got louder, and Tadashi finally rounded the corner, looking at the tense group.

His face was pale, and his hair and blazer were wet from the rain. His eyes had changed, as if the light in them had been stripped away. The thing that the group noticed the most about Tadashi was how completely exhausted he looked. He looked as if he hadn't slept in three days. The bags under his eyes were dark next to the paleness of his skin, and he looked smaller. Weaker. Defeated. He continued to look at the group, unsure of what to say or where to begin.

"Tadashi," Honey Lemon said, standing from her chair. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," he mumbled weakly. At first, she had no idea what he meant, and she didn't know how to reply. But then, Honey Lemon realized with a stab of dread that he had been crying, and that he was struggling now to do so again, and she slowly moved toward him, looping her arm through his and leading him to the dining room table.

"Here, Tadashi," she said, pulling out a chair. "You should sit down, okay? Just take a deep breath."

He nodded slowly, sitting down and looking up gratefully as she took a seat next to him. Fred placed his chip bag on the ground as Wasabi and Gogo steadily gravitated toward the table, pulling out chairs and sitting down, though they never took their eyes off of Tadashi.

"So, what happened?" Fred asked cautiously. "D-do they have any idea where he may be?"

Tadashi shook his head in a defeated matter, closing his eyes as he looked down at his lap.

"W-well, what did they tell you?" Gogo asked, anxious for answers. "And what did you tell them?"

"I told them what I saw," Tadashi said quietly. "And I gave them the plate number. They said they would call when they knew more."

"That's...that's good," Wasabi said before raising an eyebrow. "Right?"

"It's...fine," Tadashi said, looking back down. The group watched him closely, and he began to look more worn-out by the second. "They...they'll find everything they can, and I'll do the same."

"What do you mean?" Gogo asked, sitting up straighter at what Tadashi was implying.

"I mean...the police may be searching for things on their computers and interrogating cashiers, but...at the end of the day, they won't find my little brother like that."

"You don't know that, man," Fred said, eager to reassure him. "The plate number could lead the police right to his kidnappers."

"It could," Tadashi agreed, nodding his head and taking in a shaky breath. "But until it does, I'm gonna look for Hiro myself, whatever it takes."

"Tadashi...we're here for you, but-"

"I'm gonna...I'm gonna find out who has him, why they took him, and wh-where," Tadashi continued, speaking slowly and looking to each of his friends as he chose each word. "If you want to help me, that's great. If not, that's fine too. But there's something inside me telling me that we don't have much time. And I'm not wasting any time sitting around waiting for a phone call when he could be...he could be, uh..."

"We're in," Honey Lemon interrupted his thought process, looking around the rooming and sighing in relief to see that everyone was nodding in agreement.

"Where do we start?"

* * *

_**("After Sarah" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)**_

When he first woke up, he didn't feel much of anything.

He couldn't _do _much of anything. His head pounded and ached, as did his entire body. His thoughts were foggy, and after a few minutes, he finally gained feeling, though he regretted wishing for it.

It felt like his leg was being burned over an open flame. Rope rubbed against his burned arm and ankle, and his spine felt twisted like something horrible was wrong with it. As he regained more and more feeling, his breathing escalated ever more slightly. He tried forcing himself to open his eyes, but after a few minutes of trying to escape his restraints, he realized that they _were_ open, but they were covered by something, and he realized there was a bag over his head. He took this moment to try and find out where he was exactly.

He seemed to be sitting on the floor, leaning against a corner. He attempted to lift whatever was on his face, but his hands were bound together tightly, and so were his arms. He also noticed that his mouth was sealed with duct tape, making it difficult for him to breath. His heart began beating rapidly as he fought to free himself from the restraints, but to no avail. And just like that, the memories came back.

Before Hiro could fully react to the fact that he had been kidnapped, the sound of a doorknob clicking made Hiro freeze in his place, his breath escalating in fear. Two pairs of footsteps were walking toward him and suddenly two large hands were lifting him up from under his arms, forcing him on his feet.

"Get up," a voice hissed in his ear, sending another wave of pain coursing through Hiro's head. "He wants to see you."

Hiro gulped as they walked forward, dragging his feet behind him, his heart beating louder and faster by the second. "_He_?" Hiro thought. "Who is _he_? And why does _he_ want _me_?"

As Hiro thought to himself, his brother came to the forefront of his mind. The memory of Tadashi rounding the corner and looking up at Hiro in confusion played vividly on a loop, and even after the men covered Hiro's face, he could still hear Tadashi's shouting and fighting before everything faded away.

With those thoughts, he began trying to shake himself free from the mysterious men's grip, only to be shoved forward harshly.

"Stop it," he heard a deep voice growl from his right side. He had no choice but to obey, and Tadashi's voice returned to his head once more. He remembered when he was younger, Tadashi used to give him karate lessons, and tell him what she should do if he were ever in a situation like the one he was in now.

"_Fight like hell, no matter what_," Tadashi's voice said, and Hiro grunted as his pain intensified. "_If they hold a gun to your head and tell you to go to a second location, take the shot. If they tell you not to move or else, throw the first punch. Don't be a knucklehead, okay__? Fight for your life, Hiro, no matter what._"

Suddenly, they came to a stop, and Hiro heard a clicking noise before they were moving again. They stopped soon after, and Hiro was thrown to the ground, the bag on his head lifted.

Hiro sat on his knees, heaving pained and raspy breaths. He heard footsteps, and he squinted his eyes shut, preparing for the worst, though the worst never came. He opened his eyes slowly to see a pair of shiny black shoes, and his brow furrowed in confusion. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Hiro lifted his head slowly, looking up at the owner of the shoes only to double back in horror.

"Professor Callaghan?"

* * *

**_("Eleven" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

Tadashi sat on the floor of his shared bedroom, holding Hiro's robot.

It was a simple design, but it always made Tadashi smile, even though he hated the fact that Hiro was bot fighting. It was two large microbots connected to each other, and it had a yellow smiley face. Tadashi stroked it with his thumb, staring at it numbly for what felt like forever before dropping it to the ground, closing his eyes.

He had told his friends to go home. They had done enough for him, and he was grateful. He asked them to meet him the following day at the cafe, and they agreed as soon as he opened his mouth. After they left, Tadashi dragged himself up the stairs, collapsing to the ground.

So, there he was.

His eyes felt heavy. He was exhausted, a fraction of the person he usually was. He wanted nothing more than to sleep for several days, but the mere thought made him choke. Why should he have the privilege of resting when Hiro was probably wide awake, terrified for his life?

Tadashi dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, sighing in pain before finding the courage to lift himself off of the ground. He stood still for a while, completely at a loss. His eyes trailed to Hiro's bed. It was unmade, of course, and Tadashi was incredibly tempted at that moment to collapse onto it. To breathe in his brother's scent and succumb to his exhaustion. But something caught his eyes before he could indulge further in the fantasy.

Under one of Hiro's blankets was what appeared to be a photograph. Tadashi frowned at it, leaning over to pick it up. The photo made Tadashi's eyes widen and round out and was enough to make his blood boil.

It was a photo of his baby brother. He was working in the cafe, wearing an apron and holding a coffee mug. He seemed to be making small talk with a customer, though that wasn't what caused Tadashi's concern.

Around Hiro's head was a target, and the more Tadashi stared at it the faster his heart beat in his chest. He flipped the photograph over, stumbling back at what he read. Once again he fell to the ground, his panicked breathing filling the room.

"_We're back. And this time, you're coming with us_."

* * *

**alright that's a wrap for chapter two :) in case you haven't noticed i mainly used stranger things music. i just really like the techno sound it has, it reminds me of bh6 but at the same time it's mysterious and unique. anyway, it's a lot longer than the first one, i know. but the first chapter honestly just seemed vague and confusing to me the more i re-read it so i wanted to make this one a little more detailed. please leave reviews! i would really appreciate the feedback.**


	3. Chapter 3: Answers

**thanks for the feedback, i'll reply to your comments at the end of the chapter :)**

* * *

**_("This Isn't You" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

The pounding of rain continued all through the night and carried on into the morning.

It was Friday morning, to be exact. The storm didn't give any sign of letting up, and Tadashi stared at it blankly from inside of the cafe.

His head was still aching, as well as his jaw, which was beginning to bruise and purple over. He was incredibly exhausted, seeing as he finally fell asleep at around 3 AM only to wake up at 6 AM, though he didn't blame his exhaustion on that.

Tadashi tried to tell himself to relax. He tried to convince himself that the police were right, that they were out in the streets of San Fransokyo, doing everything in their power to find his little brother. But every time he had that thought, sorrow pierced his heart when he realized for the thousandth time that Hiro had been _kidnapped_. This wasn't like the other times when Hiro was out late bot fighting and Tadashi would come to his rescue on his moped. This wasn't like the times when Tadashi would toss his little brother on the back of his bike and speed away from the gangs that were out for his blood. He sighed deeply, reaching up to rub his forehead before taking in another shaky breath.

Before his thoughts could spiral downward any further, the sound of a key being frantically shoved into the cafe's front door made Tadashi snap his head forward, and soon enough Aunt Cass was swinging the door open, her suitcase behind her and her purse looped around her arm. A taxi was driving away in the distance, though Tadashi paid it no mind. All he could do was stare at his aunt.

She wasn't wearing any makeup, which Tadashi was used to though she looked different. She looked worn out and haggard, and her short brown-red hair was thrown into a messy bun with wavy strands falling in her face. Her eyes were red, most likely from her red-eye flight. She was teary-eyed as well, and Tadashi's face fell at the sight of her, though he was incredibly relieved to have her there with him.

"Aunt Cass," he said softly, breaking the silence between them. For some reason, the sound of Tadashi's voice made her lip tremble uncontrollably, and she immediately burst into tears.

"Oh, Tadashi," she whimpered. She dropped her suitcase and ran toward him, crashing right into him and wrapping her arms around him tightly. Tadashi stood still for a moment, unsure of how to react before he found himself wrapping his arms around her as tightly as possible, placing his hand behind her head and rubbing her back as it began to bounce from her sobs.

"I'm sorry," Tadashi found himself saying to her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"N-no," Cass pulled out of the hug, looking up and cupping his face with her hands. "Don't you dare apologize. You did nothing."

"I know."

Tadashi simply stared back at her wide, glossy eyes, studying her carefully. Her eyes trailed down to his jaw, and she grimaced at the sight.

"You're hurt," she stated, looking to his eyes for an explanation. "What happened to you?"

"I tried to stop them," Tadashi said, swallowing thickly. She gasped quietly at his implication, though he shook his head, pulling her back into the hug. "It doesn't matter, I'm okay."

She continued to cry into his shoulder, reaching her arms up and gripping fistfuls of his shirt. He did the same, and for a while, that was all they did. They stood still, holding onto each other with no desire to let go of each other. Tadashi barely even noticed the jingling of the bell above the cafe door as it opened, and probably never would have until he felt his aunt pull away and mutter "we're closed." But hearing her gasp made him perk his head up, and he straightened at the sight of who was standing in the door.

His friends stood awkwardly, with Honey Lemon in the front. They watched the scene before them with heavy hearts, and Fred removed his beanie when he stepped inside. They were all damp from the rain, and Tadashi held onto his aunt's shoulder as they walked toward them.

"H-hi," Tadashi muttered, unsure of what else there was to say. Honey Lemon cleared her throat, stepping forward.

"Hi," she replied, trailing her eyes to Cass before walking slowly toward her. "Hi, Ms. Cass...We-we wanted you to know that we're here for you guys, a-and that if you guys need anything, we're here for you."

Cass smiled gratefully at that, though it took up all of her energy to do so. She pulled Honey Lemon into a quick hug before Honey Lemon returned the smile and stepped back to the group.

"We also brought something of yours," Gogo added, looking to Wasabi as he stepped forward from the back of the group, causing Honey Lemon and Fred to clear a path for him. In Wasabi's hands was a large red box with a small window on the top revealing two all too familiar eyes. Tadashi raised an eyebrow.

"Baymax?" he croaked, meeting Wasabi halfway.

"We figured you might like to have him here with you," Wasabi explained, avoiding making eye contact with Tadashi. "Just in case...I don't know. You still need to have that bruise looked at, you know."

Tadashi's lip tugged up in a grateful smile, and finally, Wasabi looked into his eyes, returning the gesture.

"Thank you. All of you."

His friends all looked up at this, and the awkward and tense atmosphere had been broken to form a warm and welcoming one. They all looked to one another, smiling softly.

"I think I'm gonna take my things upstairs," Cass spoke up, grabbing the handle of her suitcase and turning to Tadashi. "And then I'll have to head up to the police station...Why don't you make your friends some hot chocolate? I'll be right down."

"O-okay," Tadashi smiled, kissing her forehead before she made her way to the stairs leading to their house. He immediately felt guilty for not offering to help her with her things, but if he was being honest, he didn't know if he even had the strength. He turned to the group before gesturing for them to sit at one of the larger tables in the cafe, proceeding to the counter and taking out five mugs.

"Tadashi, you really don't have to make us anything."

"It's okay," Tadashi replied, placing the mugs on the counter and taking out the ingredients. "I don't mind. It relaxes me to be working down here again."

He was lying, and he would have felt guilty if the lie were harmful. Could he be blamed for not wanting his friends to know that everything he did, every breath he took felt almost impossible?

But they all nodded in response before glancing to one another, unsure of where to begin. Fred ended up being the first to speak up.

"They closed the campus," he said, earning a look of surprise from Tadashi as Fred began placing his beanie back on his head. "At SFIT. They say that the rain probably isn't going anywhere for a while."

"Which is good," said Gogo, crossing her hands and leaning forward. "It gives us more time. To look for him."

Tadashi looked up at this, nodding slowly before bringing over the first three mugs to the table and placing them in the center. Nobody made a move to grab one until he brought the rest and seated himself. They all quietly sipped from their mugs, silence filling the cafe until Tadashi cleared his throat.

"I found something," he said, looking up at their confused glances. "Last night. After you guys left, I went up to Hiro and I's room and saw something on his bed. A photograph."

"What was on it?" Gogo asked anxiously, leaning forward even more. "Does it have to do with Hiro being missing?"

Tadashi suddenly got distracted as his focus drifted to the windows of the cafe. The dark purple clouds above them were making it look like it was the middle of the night, even though the sun was rising. Thunder clapped and lightning cracked in the sky, and Tadashi felt his heart begin to thud loudly in his chest once more. The street lights went out, and Tadashi didn't even notice that the lights in the cafe went out too. All he could focus on were his thoughts, and what the world outside meant now to him.

Wherever Hiro was...

_Thud...thud...thud..._

Was he warm?

_Thud...thud...thud..._

Was he dry?

_Thud...thud...thud..._

Or worse...was he being held inside somewhere?

_Thud...thud...thud..._

Did he even _know_ it was raining?

_Thud...thud...thud..._

"...dashi? Tadashi. Tadashi!"

Tadashi snapped to attention at the call, looking to his left to see Wasabi's wide, concern-filled eyes. He looked to the rest of the table to see the same thing from each of his friends, though Honey Lemon was standing at the counter, lighting a candle. He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered, slowly opening his heavy eyes. "What were we talking about?"

"We were talking about a photo," Honey Lemon said softly, placing the candle in the center of the table before reaching for her mug and pressing it to her lips.

"R-right," Tadashi replied, looking down at his hands and pulling said photo out of his pocket. He hesitated, his heart still beating loudly in his chest before he held the photo up beside the candlelight, earning shocked gasps from each of his friends.

Their eyes widened as they stared at the photo of Tadashi's little brother, the target drawn on his head making Fred look down with a wince.

Their concern only intensified, though, when Tadashi flipped the photograph over.

* * *

**_("Papa" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

All of the karate lessons in the world couldn't have prepared Hiro for _this_.

Hiro was still collapsed on the floor. He sat on his knees, with all of his weight lying on his burned leg and he would have focused all of his energy on adjusting himself if he wasn't in such a predicament. He looked up defenseless at his brother's professor. A man presumed dead. A man that not only his brother looked up to, but a man that Hiro had studied and admired. And he was standing in front of Hiro, looking as if he were a completely different person.

He appeared to have traded in his trademark sweater vest for a long, black trenchcoat. He wore black pants with white cloth wrapped around his shins, and large, black gloves. His face was the only color on his body, though his head was covered in black. In his hands, he held a white mask, and it brought a wave of deja vu to the boy.

"I-I don't understand," Hiro stuttered, shaking his head. "Why are you doing this? Why am I tied up?"

Robert only continued glaring down at the defenseless teen, and Hiro's blood began to boil.

"Where is Tadashi?" Hiro demanded, and although his voice was shaking, there was anger evident in it. "What did you do to him?"

Robert still continued glaring, causing Hiro's panicking to intensify.

"G-get this _off_ of me," he demanded once more, gesturing to his wrists tied behind his back and the ropes keeping him contained. He began squirming, and his breathing quickly turned into a panic attack. "Get this off! Get it off! _Get it off-!_"

Before Hiro could continue shouting out, Robert kicked him to his side, and Hiro struggled for air as his eyes widened at the stabbing pain in his abdomen. Robert finally bent down and lifted Hiro's chin, facing him so that they were eye level.

"You're a smart kid," Robert huffed, and his voice sounded different. This wasn't the same welcoming and sophisticated voice he had heard in Tadashi's lab that day after his last bot fight, and his eyes weren't the same bright and wise ones he had looked into either. His voice was gruff and deep, sending chills down Hiro's spine with every word he spoke, and his beady eyes stared into Hiro's innocent and terrified ones. "Act like it, before this becomes worse than it has to be."

Hiro couldn't respond, still struggling for air from the blow to his side. He watched as Robert tossed his mask behind him, standing and looking behind Hiro to face the men that had brought him inside.

"When do we get our money?" one of the men asked sharply. "We did everything you asked us to."

"About that," Robert said, and in a blink of an eye, Robert took out a pistol, firing it twice. Hiro yelped in return, shortly after hearing two bodies fall to the ground. Hiro snapped his head up to look at Robert, and a small sob escaped his lips.

"They're dead," Hiro said lamely, stating the obvious. "You just killed them!"

"Do you know why I brought you here, Hiro?" Robert asked suddenly, and Hiro doubled back at the question. Of _course_ he didn't know why he was here, though he took that opportunity to find out where exactly "here" was.

They were in what looked like a computer room. There were large windows behind Robert that covered about half of the wall, and the other half was occupied by computers and keyboards. It looked like the windows were overlooking a laboratory of some kind, a large one at that. Hiro looked behind him to see a large, red screen displaying what looked like a symbol of a bird. Behind the screen on each side were two sets of metal stairs, leading to the roof. Hiro swallowed nervously, looking back to Robert and shaking his head.

"I brought you here because you're special," Robert said, and Hiro wanted to scoff and roll his eyes but, with the gun still held tight in Robert's hand, he fought the urge. "I saw your presentation at the showcase and realized at that moment that you were perfect for what I need to do."

"Which...which is what, exactly?" Hiro asked, becoming more and more defensive as he attempted to sit up straighter.

"Hiro, have you ever had something happen to you that was so heartbreaking that you would do whatever it took to undo it?"

Hiro, once again, was taken aback by the question. He thought about it nonetheless. _This_, of course, was something so heartbreaking he wanted to undo. But, unable to use that as a response, he thought about his parents dying when he was three, and how Tadashi had never healed entirely from having to grow up so fast. But, when he really thought about it, he wouldn't trade growing up with his aunt for the world, so instead, he thought of the showcase and, unable to hide his anger, he looked into Robert's eyes, narrowing his own.

"How about when _you_ drugged me after the showcase and then tried to burn me alive? My leg is _ruined_," Hiro growled, and Robert scoffed at the remark. "Why try to kill me if I'm so 'perfect'?"

"I was going to protect you with my microbots," Robert explained, though his reply only made Hiro's anger flourish.

"Those are _my _microbots," he said, his voice low. "_My_ microbots that _you_ stole."

"That's right," Robert said. "Your microbots have more potential than you realize."

"I'm plenty aware of what they're capable of," he replied, earning a scowl from Robert.

"That kind of behavior won't work from here on in, Hiro," Robert said, leaning down so that he was eye level with Hiro once more. "It won't work at all. When I speak, you don't interrupt. Is that understood?"

"I won't be treated like a toddler," Hiro retaliated, his older brother's words ringing in his ears.

"_Don't be a knucklehead, okay? Fight for your life, Hiro, no matter what._"

This was not the response Robert was looking for, and all Hiro could remember after the words escaped his lips was an immense pain in his skull before everything went black.

* * *

**_("Choices" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)_**

Cass sat anxiously in a dimly lit interrogation room, trembling from head to toe.

This whole situation seemed cruel and unfair. She didn't understand. She didn't understand any of it, and the more her body broke out into tremors, her mind did the same. What if Hiro was nowhere to be found? She wrecked her mind with images of him in the trunk of someone's car or lying defenseless in an alley, and her breath was taken away almost completely. She was almost grateful when the door to the room finally swung open and she was greeted by a gentle voice.

"Cassandra Hamada?"

She perked at the mention of her name and her eyes followed the source of the voice as it closed the door and made its way to the opposite side of the table.

"Yes, that's me," she supplied lamely.

"I'm Detective Hirano," the woman replied, setting down a file and a notepad. "But you can call me Emily, if you'd like."

Cass nodded, sniffing as she dug through her purse in search of a tissue. Emily opened her file before taking out a recording device and flicking it on. She took out her notepad as well and clicked her pen, writing a heading and looking up at Cass with innocent eyes.

"So, your nephew," she started. "How long has he been yours, legally?"

"Almost twelve years," Cass replied, the question tearing a hole in her heart. "He turns fifteen next week, actually..."

"Right."

"I-I got custody when he was three years old. His parents-my sister and brother-in-law-passed in a car accident and they've been with me since."

"And has Hiro been difficult to raise? Does he get in trouble often in your house?"

"N-no," Cass insisted, almost offended by the question. "No. His brother is usually the hardest on him...Hiro graduated high school very young, but then he had all this free time that he wasted on bot fights. But ever since Hiro got caught with Tadashi at the police station, he hasn't gone back."

"I noticed he had a record," Emily frowned, looking down at the file and adjusting her glasses. "Does he often act out like that? Running around the city late at night?"

"Only since last year. After he graduated."

"Do you think that he stopped bot fighting because he was scared?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that the reason he stopped going out at night was because he was being targeted by these 'bot fighters'?"

Cass was taken aback at the question, looking down at her hands and realizing with a jolt that they were trembling once again.

"I don't," she replied quietly. "I think he stopped because he got caught by the police and realized he was making a mistake. His brother talked some sense into him, so that's why he stopped."

Emily simply nodded, seemingly surprised at her stern tone.

"Your nephew Tadashi mentioned that after the showcase fire Hiro became closed off. Do you believe this to be true?"

"I suppose so, yes," Cass said, feeling ashamed that she was only seeing it now. "He did get...quieter, I guess."

"And did you make any attempt to talk to him when he was like this?"

Cass raised an eyebrow at the question, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward.

"Why do you ask? Are you questioning my parenting?"

"I need to know if he ever said anything indicating that he was being followed or targeted specifically."

"If he did, don't you think I would have reported it a long time ago?" she shot back, and Emily simply let out a laugh, looking back down at her crossed hands before looking up at the frazzled woman.

"We both want the same thing here, you know," she said, her tone almost snarky. "To find Hiro, and bring him home. I understand that you are scared and confused, but picking a fight with me won't help anyone here."

"No, I don't think you do understand," Cass growled through her teeth, standing up from her chair and wrapping her purse around her arm.

Emily watched dumbfounded as the distraught woman stormed out of the interrogation room, shutting the door behind her with a snap.

* * *

_**("In the Woods" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein**_

"Here are the things we know to be true."

Tadashi wrote something on a sticky note, placing it on a bulletin board in the garage before turning to his friends, who all sat on the red couch in the corner. They perked up at his remark, reading everything on the bulletin board carefully, from the photo of Hiro with a target on his head to his acceptance letter pinned below it.

"Hiro was last seen on Thursday, October fourth at about 7 pm outside of the Wok Inn Diner. He was kidnapped and taken in a van with the plate number R-J-C-A-B-G-2," he said, pinning the number to the board as he spoke. "All of this started when he performed at the SFIT showcase on Friday, September sixth. All we know about Hiro's kidnapper is that they had to have been in the audience or at least in the building that night to know Hiro was there. Whoever this person is, they aren't playing games. Whoever this is destroyed the SFIT showcase and killed Professor Callaghan, though we don't know whether or not this was intended or if it was an accident."

"You forgot to mention the part where Alistar offered Hiro money for his invention but he said no," Fred spoke up, making Tadashi stop his train of thought.

"Why? Do you-do you think that's important?"

"Totally," Fred replied, leaning back. "I mean, if we really have no idea who this might be, we have to include _every person_ Hiro spoke to that night, right?"

"Good point," Tadashi mumbled under his breath, taking out another sticky note and pasting it onto the bulletin board that read "Alistar Krei."

"Woah, seriously?" Wasabi asked, his eyes wide. "Krei couldn't be behind this, there's no way. The guy's way too high profile."

"I'm not taking any chances," Tadashi said, trying to remember where he had left off. "Okay, so...so, after the fire, we gave our statement to the police, and everything went back to normal for the most part. But then, on October fourth, Hiro started acting strange."

"Maybe that was the day he got that photo?" Honey Lemon suggested. "I can't be sure, but maybe the photo was left in the cafe for him."

"Meaning that Hiro's kidnapper-or, one of Hiro's kidnappers, could have been in the cafe that day," Tadashi said, the gears in his head turning slightly faster. "And most of the customers paid with cards, meaning I have their names."

Tadashi leaned over, writing a reminder on one of the sticky notes to get the names of everyone that came to the restaurant yesterday afternoon.

"So, the cashier from the convenience store described the men that followed Hiro inside to be wearing short black sleeved shirts and black pants. The men that took Hiro were...wait, that can't be right."

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just...the men that came in the van and took Hiro were wearing long-sleeved shirts," Tadashi explained, and he furrowed his brow in thought. "And...on the news, it said that the cashier also noticed that they were wearing sunglasses, but...the men that took Hiro were wearing black masks, not sunglasses."

"What are you saying?" Gogo asked, leaning forward and popping her gum. "Do we think that the cashier was lying?"

"Maybe, but..." Tadashi sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "It doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't they all be wearing the same thing?"

"Maybe they were trying to blend in," Wasabi suggested, sharing the same look as Tadashi.

"Or...I don't know, maybe..."

"Maybe," Fred started, licking his lips, and wilting slightly as everyone turned to look at him. He chose his next words carefully, sighing before looking up at the confused Hamada.

"Maybe there's been more than one group after Hiro."

* * *

**alrighty that's a wrap for chapter three! chapter four will be posted soon. leave me a review and i'll reply to it next chapter! see ya there :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Taking Initiative

**i hope you guys are liking this so far haha, enjoy!**

* * *

_**("Birth/Rescue" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)**_

When Hiro came to, that familiar rise of panic hit him like a pile of bricks.

His heart was racing faster than ever before, and he realized with annoyance that his mouth had been sealed with duct tape once again. He squeezed his eyes shut, grimacing in pain as he sat up, his eyes slowly fluttering open, though they widened once he realized where exactly he was.

He looked up to see that he was laying on a balcony of sorts, looking out into a laboratory that he assumed to be the one the computer lab had been looking out on. His suspicion was correct once he looked back to see a large set of windows in the back of the lab, computers lighting up the darkness. He looked forward and doubled back when he noticed a large, mangled piece of machinery near the far wall of the lab, his confusion only growing when his eyes trailed to the left to see another mangled machine. They looked like large portals, though he couldn't be certain. He did notice the bird symbols pasted on each of the machines, though, and he furrowed his brow in suspicion.

What _exactly_ was going on here? Was that symbol some sort of secret operation?

Before he could continue brainstorming theories, he heard the familiar clicking of metal coming from below, and he scrambled back as Robert Callaghan rose from below the balcony, a large swarm of microbots lifting him up. Hiro's breathing escalated into a level of hyperventilation, though he had to breathe even harder due to his mouth being sealed shut.

"If you weren't going to follow my rules," Robert hissed, "then I figured you didn't deserve the privilege of talking."

Hiro lowered his head to glare daggers at Robert, though the man didn't seem fazed. Instead, a sliver of microbots crawled toward Hiro, and he tried to scurry back but to no avail as he was being lifted into the air. He kicked to the best of his ability only to groan in frustration, realizing that his ankles were still tied together tightly. So, he had to resort to twisting around to escape, shouting muffled grievances against Robert.

"Now, where were we before, Hiro?" Robert asked, bringing Hiro to his side only to growl in annoyance as Hiro squirmed against the hold of the microbots. He forced the microbots to squeeze Hiro tightly, scowling under his mask as he watched Hiro's eyes widen in pain. "You're doing this to yourself, Hiro. You have to obey me from now on."

Hiro didn't listen, still shouting out painful and muffled cries as he tossed and turned in the microbot's hold. Robert rolled his eyes, squeezing Hiro tighter as he clenched his fist.

"Hiro, stop it!" he demanded, but Hiro wouldn't give in. Robert had no choice but to lean forward, whispering into Hiro's ear. "You don't want me to bring Tadashi here to be with you, do you?"

Hiro stopped moving, still struggling for air as the microbot's tightened their hold more and more. He whipped his head around to face Robert, searching his eyes as if to say "you don't mean that." But Robert simply glared back beneath his mask, and Hiro nodded weakly, sighing in relief as Robert loosened the microbots around Hiro's waist. Hiro began coughing beneath the tape on his mouth violently, his face still a faint purple from his lack of air. Robert paid him no mind, proceeding forward until they were in front of the mangled portals that Hiro had been staring at before.

"Remember those things I said about you, Hiro?" Robert asked, placing Hiro down on the metal walkway below. "About how you're special?"

Hiro simply stared up at Robert from the walkway, unsure of how to respond.

"Answer me, Hiro," Robert hissed, a trail of microbots slithering down to Hiro. Hiro nodded frantically in response, sighing in relief as the trail of microbots slithered back up to Robert.

"Good," he continued, turning to the portals and approaching them slowly before placing his gloved hand on it, trailing it down as he examined the burnt pieces. "I brought you here because you have a gift. You're smarter than other kids your age, even adults. When I saw what you were capable of at the showcase, I had to get you to come with me somehow but, of course, my plan backfired. I started the fire with the intention of bringing you inside to make it look like you were killed, but I wasn't prepared for the explosion that followed. Your family certainly wasn't going to leave you alone anytime soon, so I had to recruit some backup. I hired private detectives to have you followed. They left you threats, warnings. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Hiro nodded slowly, and you could practically hear the gears in his head turning.

"I couldn't afford to pay them, of course," he said, gesturing up to the computer lab where Hiro assumed their dead bodies were still lying. "Still, they waited for just the right moment to attack, but there was someone in the way. Someone else was having you followed, Hiro."

Hiro's eyes widened, and he wrecked his brain for an explanation. Why were so many people after him, and why now? Why were they all hunting him at the same time?

"I wasn't surprised when I realized it was Alistar Krei," Robert continued, and Hiro's heart skipped a beat. _Alistar Krei_? The billionaire CEO of Krei Tech was trying to kidnap _him_? "Alistar and I go back further than anyone else knows. He took _everything_ from me with these machines," he gestured to the destroyed portals, his anger clearly rising up out of him. "So, you can imagine how unpleased I was to see him talking to you after your presentation. I had to stop you from selling those microbots to him, but as I said, you're a smart kid. Krei, however, has never been smart in the slightest. When I was erased from the equation after the fire, he decided to have you followed. He wasn't going down without a fight, or your microbots. He was planning to force you to work for him."

Hiro, still preoccupied with his own shock, narrowed his eyes in anger. Couldn't these geniuses just leave well enough alone and invent something themselves? Something original? Because of their greed, Hiro may not ever see his family again, and the frustration in his heart flourished into something violent as he tried once again to break free from the ropes slicing into his skin. Robert, however, paid him no mind, continuing with his monologue.

"Well, eventually, my guys got around him and captured you first. So, here you are."

Hiro, who continued to struggle, finally spit off the duct tape sealed on his face, gulping in air before bracing himself to speak.

"I don't get it," Hiro croaked, his voice hoarse. "How could you do this to me? To my family? What could have possibly driven you to become some kidnapper? A criminal?"

"Do you remember the question I asked you?" Robert asked, choosing his words carefully. "About wanting to undo something terrible?"

Hiro nodded slowly, causing Robert to sigh and drop down to Hiro's level. He stood in front of Hiro, glaring down at him.

"This is it," he said, gesturing to the portals. "I had a daughter. Her name was Abigail. She was my world...she was my only family. She was smart, like you. She went bot fighting, like you. She was my everything. But then..."

Hiro leaned forward in anticipation, never once taking his eyes off of the old Professor as the man seemed to struggle for words beneath his mask.

"But then, she was taken from me," Robert continued through gritted teeth. "She was taken from me in the most...unfair way imaginable. A way that could have been avoided if _ego_ and _money _weren't at the forefront of Krei's mind."

Once again, Hiro shook his head in confusion. What exactly went down between Krei and Callaghan that caused all of this to explode? And how could Krei have been responsible for Abigail being _taken_?

"Taken?" Hiro asked, licking suddenly dry lips. "C-can you get her back?"

"She's _dead_, Hiro," Robert spat, and Hiro's heart sank at the implication.

"She was killed by _Alistar Krei_," he growled, physically having to force the name out of his throat like it was a snake. "If he hadn't been so foolish and reckless, none of this ever would have happened, but...but it did happen. And you are going to help me undo it."

Robert slithered closer to the large portals, studying them carefully before directing his gaze back to a disoriented Hiro.

"These are portals," he said, examining the black marks stretching across them from an explosion of some kind. "They're the result of a government experiment called 'Silent Sparrow.' Alistar Krei was the so-called mastermind behind the project, and my daughter Abigail was its test subject."

Hiro listened intently, slightly cowering into his shoulders at the realization that Robert was becoming agitated behind his mask.

"But they were destroyed after the first test," he continued, his voice shaking. "When Krei finally got the General to come down to this lab to see what the portals were capable of, he didn't let anything stop him. Not even a...a _slight _irregularity in the magnetic containment field. That slight irregularity _killed her_!"

The shout reverberated throughout the laboratory, as did the punch he threw to the portal that followed, and Hiro jumped at the sound, a sharp pain piercing through his skull.

"I may not be able to save my daughter," he heaved out, his voice raspy, "but I...I _can_ make a wrong right. I can take away Krei's right to live as he did to my daughter."

"W-what?" Hiro gasped. "You can't...you can't just _kill_ him! I know that you're grieving, and you're angry, but-"

"You know NOTHING!" Robert snapped, shooting down toward Hiro and gripping the teenager's jaw with his hand. Hiro's heart was beating so loud that each beat was like a sharp pain pulsating through his aching skull, making Hiro wince. Robert breathed loudly, his breaths echoing in the laboratory. Robert looked down, weakly releasing his grip on Hiro before standing back up and lifting himself with his microbots. "You know _nothing_ about Abigail. Nobody does. But you _do_ know how to make microbots and rebuild portals. So that's why you're here."

"I can't," Hiro choked, shaking his head frantically. "I can make you all the microbots you want, but I...I've never learned about transporting matter through space, I can't-"

"You can, and you _will_," Robert hissed turning to the portals and narrowing his beady eyes.

"Because we're going to kill him together."

* * *

_**("Eight Fifteen" by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein)**_

Tadashi's leg bounced anxiously as he stared at the bulletin board in front of him.

His friends had gone home nearly three hours ago, but the thought of sleeping made him incredibly uneasy. He was approaching nearly nineteen hours of being awake, running on three hours of sleep. The clock behind him on the garage wall ticked and echoed in his head, and it took everything in him not to stand up and smash it on the ground. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the reminder that Hiro had bought it as a gift to Tadashi that past Christmas during a White Elephant party with his friends. It had a cat on it, and every other hour it "meowed." The reminder brought an exhausted and heavy smile to his face, though it only lasted about five seconds before a weight fell upon him that caused him to slouch and groan as he dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, heaving a loud sigh.

His friends had managed to come up with some interesting theories about his little brother's whereabouts, and Tadashi had written every single one of them down, minus a few of Fred's. Though, if Tadashi was being honest with himself, the idea of Alistar Krei being behind it didn't surprise him all that much. When Tadashi really thought about it, Krei did seem very persistent on following Hiro around the night of the showcase and even reached as far as to offer Hiro money and start an argument with his late professor. Tadashi frowned, raising his hand up to his chin and resting it there in thought. Could Krei have kidnapped Hiro for his microbots? They had been destroyed in the fire...maybe he needed more.

Tadashi also had to consider the idea that Hiro was being held by bot fighters. He had been known to hang out in the wrong crowd quite often, and it wouldn't surprise Tadashi if the men Hiro had competed against were after some kind of revenge. That thought didn't sit well with him, seeing as he had told his brother time and time again not to bot fight anymore. But Hiro hadn't gone back ever since Tadashi brought him to his "nerd lab," so they wouldn't come after him now, right? They wouldn't have been there at the showcase too...right?

Tadashi found himself unable to fight the urge to know the answer, grabbing his helmet off of the work table in the garage and unhooking his keys to his moped before lifting the garage door up, only to frown at the sight before him.

The rain was pounding still, just like it had been that morning. Tadashi groaned in return, though he didn't exactly seem to care about the weather as he ran to his moped and started it up. In a matter of ten seconds, he was already on the road, relieved to see that no one else was driving. He sped through the watery streets of San Fransokyo until he reached the alleyway that most of Hiro's fights took place in, and he turned the sharp corner, narrowing his eyes to see through the pouring rain.

Finally, he approached their normal spot, frowning to see it empty only to mentally slap himself across the face. _Of course they're not playing out here, you idiot! It's pouring rain!_

Tadashi got off of his bike, standing dumbfounded in the center of the usual fighting spot. Was he _that _sleep deprived? Was he so tired that he would drive all the way down here at 1 AM on a Saturday morning? He sighed, turning back to his bike in a defeated matter. He felt ashamed. He felt _embarrassed_. Not knowing where Hiro was was slowly driving him crazy, and with no choice, he mounted his moped, reaching his hand up to rub his forehead.

"Hey, fighter!"

Tadashi's head shot up at the call, and his eyes widened at the sight. On one of the walls in the corner alleyway was a door, held open by a woman. She was slender, with black hair tied into a messy bun and an eyepatch strapped across her face. She had two knitting needles stuck in her hair, and she wore a tank top with shorts. Tadashi recognized her from the last fight he had rescued Hiro from; she had been the ringleader. He simply stared at her, unsure of what to say.

"Are you comin'?" she asked him, as if he were crazy. "Or are ya just gonna stand in the rain?"

Tadashi got off of his moped, unhooking his helmet and placing it on the seat before rushing inside, thanking the woman. He brushed off as much of the water on his clothes as he could once he entered, turning behind him as the ringleader followed.

"I-I wasn't sure you would still be here," he admitted, shaking his blazer dry.

"Nothing stops Yama!" she said excitedly, running forward. Tadashi watched her go, looking around the inside of wherever they were. They seemed to be inside of a warehouse of some kind, and the ringleader was running toward a large crowd of people cheering loudly. There was a single light hanging above the middle of the crowd, and it didn't take Tadashi long to see that it was a bot fight. He smiled slightly in victory, jogging up behind the crowd.

"Our winner, as always," the ringleader shouted with a grin, earning cheers from the crowd, "YAMA!"

Tadashi stepped back as Yama himself rose from the middle of the ring, digging money out of a dish in the ringleader's hands.

"One more round!" he said happily, laughing in victory. "Who's next? Who has the _guts _to take on Little Yama?!"

Someone must have emerged from the front of the crowd because a loud wave of cheers erupted after Yama's words, and soon after, Yama was sitting back down, placing his betting money in the ringleader's dish. The dish closed with a clink as she placed an umbrella between Yama and his opponent.

"Two bots enter, one bot leaves," she said menacingly, grinning from ear to ear as she eyed the two competitors. "Fighters ready? FIGHT!"

The clinking of metal filled the large warehouse, as did the cheers that followed. Tadashi simply stood in the back of the room, waiting impatiently for it to end. Luckily, it didn't take this "Yama" person long to destroy the other person's robot, and for a moment Tadashi was proud of Hiro. He had clearly been able to defeat Yama at his last competition, even though he was notorious for winning, and Tadashi's lip tugged up in a smile before returning to a straight line as the crowd began dying away, leaving Yama and the ringleader in the center counting hundreds of bills. Tadashi cleared his throat, approaching the two carefully. The ringleader was the first to notice.

"Fighter! What are you still doing here?"

Yama jumped to his feet and immediately prepared to fight Tadashi before his face fell at the sight of the teen, and he doubled back in anger.

"_You_!" Yama growled, charging toward Tadashi. Tadashi yelped and froze in place as Yama grabbed him by his blazer and pressed him against a metal column in the warehouse. Tadashi struggled against him, but his size was drastically different than Yama's. "Your bratty little brother _Zero_ got my boys and I arrested. I'll kill you with my bare hands, you _and_ that little freak!"

Tadashi glared at the man, yanking his knee up to jab the large man in the crotch. Yama fell to his knees with a cry of pain before Tadashi fell back to his feet and threw his elbow right for the man's nose. Yama gripped his bloody nose as he looked up at the Hamada with wide eyes. The ringleader behind him simply laughed loudly, twirling her umbrella as she slowly strode toward the crippled man.

"Well, well, well, Yama has been taken down," she laughed. "I'd say this kid is here to talk business."

"Where...the hell...do you...get off...talking to me...like that?" Yama choked, breathing heavily.

"I don't remember saying anything," Tadashi said with a shrug, brushing his blazer with a smug look. "But that's why I'm here. I need to talk to you."

"You think I would ever talk with you?" Yama asked with a huff, finally gaining the strength to stand on his feet.

"Hear the kid out!" the ringleader insisted, strolling up to Tadashi and reaching her hand out to shake his. Her eyes blinked flirtatiously, though Tadashi only glared back at her. "My name is Charlotte."

"Yeah, okay," Tadashi said coldly, directing his gaze back to Yama. "I need to speak with you about my brother, Hiro."

"You mean _Zero_," Yama spat, still recovering from the punches thrown at him. Tadashi was only angered even more by the answer as he cracked his knuckles in one swift motion.

"I don't like hurting people, but I won't hesitate with you."

Yama stiffened at Tadashi words, throwing his hands up defensively.

"Fine, okay," Yama said in a defeated huff. "I'll listen."

"Thank you," Tadashi said calmly, taking a deep breath to compose himself. He swallowed thickly, struggling to find the right words to say only to spit out a simple question. "Do you have my brother?"

"What?" Yama scoffed, turning back to his money on the ground. "I said I would talk, not be accused."

"Do you have him?" Tadashi insisted, pausing before each word. "He's been kidnapped, and I've seen what you're capable of."

"What would I want with Zero?" Yama chuckled, shaking his head. "Get out of here, kid. You're interrogating the wrong person."

"Please," Tadashi begged, and Yama turned his head at the change in tone. "Please, I...I don't know where else he could be."

Yama raised an eyebrow, glancing to the ringleader for some sort of backup only to earn a shrug in return. Yama sighed, turning back to face Tadashi.

"Look, kid, he hasn't been to another fight since you both got us arrested. But...I've been watching the news. I've heard the reports. I know those guys that took him."

"You-what?" Tadashi's eyes went wide at the statement, and he was suddenly lurching forward, looking frantically into Yama's eyes as they were only inches away. "Who are they? Wh-where are they? Do you know why they took him?"

"I could be wrong," Yama continued, pulling a card out of his jacket and handing it to Tadashi. "But I've hired those guys before. They're private detectives."

"So someone had to hire them," Tadashi whispered under his breath, staring at the card with a number scribbled frantically on the side. "W-wait, why would you need to hire private detectives? To spy on Hiro?"

I hired them a while back to find out who kept calling the police on us, and they took care of that person."

"What do you mean?" Tadashi asked, afraid of the answer but he had to know.

Yama paused, turning back to his money and crouching down on the floor until he was sitting with his legs crossed, sorting through the crumpled bills from that night's fight before clearing his throat.

"When they're hired to find someone, they don't stop until that someone is dead."

* * *

**sorry that this chapter got delayed! i actually just got hired for my summer job so some of my work will probably take a bit longer than usual. but anyway, thanks for reading! leave a review and i'll reply in chapter five! see you there :)**

**Guest #!: here's what happens next haha**

**KaliAnn: thank you! i appreciate the feedback. keep coming back for updates to find out more about Hiro and Callaghan!**

**Franklin Uhlbeck: hm, i can't say ;)**

**Guest #2: thank you so much! that's great to hear, thank you for taking the time to review :) i'll be sure to write you some new chappies as soon as possible :3**


	5. Update

hey guys! so...

even though i'm not writing on this platform anymore, i'm on wattpad as rosecookie2002! i decided to switch to wattpad because it's easier to use and i'm already getting more recognition there than i did here. it just feels better to know my writing is being read haha. "taken" is almost finished there and so is "big hero 6," but i did make some changes so feel free to read through them if you want. hopefully i'll see some of you guys there!


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